Today we have the September report! 📋
I’ve highlighted the projects that had changes in blue.
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Changing Tides: (Book 4 of the Distant Horizon series). On hold while working on The Dark Forest of Aneth. Next step is to merge the two revised drafts and start writing the missing scenes.
Deceived #3: On hold. Needs revisions. Tentatively titled Exposed.
Future steps: Input Isaac’s notes from Deceived #5 (formerly #4) into the manuscript, revise Deceived #5, and revise #6 (formerly #5) before handing it to Isaac for his feedback.
Dossiers (Deceived Spin-off): On hold. Next step is a revision round which involves incorporating notes into the manuscript.
Multiverse Chronicles (Distant Horizon Universe Spin-off): On hold. Next up is adding the missing scenes, do a read-through for revision smudge, and then a read-aloud with Isaac. Then it’s off to beta-readers!
Little One (Distant Horizon Prequel): Last time, chapter six had been sent. Now the newsletter is up to chapter eight. (ProWritingAid edits included).
TWB 4: (Book Four of The Wishing Blade series). On hold. Next step is to write the outline and reread the first three books.
The Dark Forest of Aneth (A Legends of Cirena short novel): I did the read-aloud with Isaac using ElevenReader. Isaac made a few minor change suggestions, which I’ve input. After inputting the changes, I started the final proofread of The Dark Forest of Aneth (and finished in early October).
This is on schedule to release in mid-to-late October. (Update: October 23rd is the day I’m aiming for!)
Meanwhile, I had Claude AI help me brainstorm possible blog and newsletter topics for the upcoming launch of The Dark Forest of Aneth, based on the manuscript and what it analyzed worked well in previous newsletters. I’ve now got several ideas I’m excited to write, which will be the focus of the October blog posts.
Legends of Cirena Volume 2: September saw a lot of forward progress on the artwork for volume two.
I’ve got an in-progress scene of Livena and Joran in Ashan (The Wind Mage and the Wolf) designed in Daz. Had Claude review the scene and make some suggestions for improvements based on my concerns. I didn’t take all the suggestions, but I did make revisions and now need to review my test render.
I designed a portrait of Naleni (The Dark Forest of Aneth) in Daz and rendered it. Still debating if I like a different camera angle better, but if I keep the current render, it’s ready to take into Photoshop.
While listening to the Dark Forest read-aloud, I sketched the chapter background art for The Wind Mage and the Wolf and The Dark Forest of Aneth. I’ve started inking the lines for The Dark Forest of Aneth.
I started a character design of Tndrec in Daz. Not yet complete, but once done, I’d like to do a portrait style render of him and I’d like to update the original version of the Dark Forest cover that I dropped to have Tndrec instead, and use it as an illustration for the compilation.
The Ruins of Amixthael (The Gryphon and the Mountain Bear Spin-Off): On hold. Next step is to revise the chapters of the secondary character, then merge the two drafts together.
Future goals: Polish cover. Create blurb.
Untitled LoC Short Story (Standalone – Merchant in Reveratch): On hold. Next step is revisions.
Goals: Figure out a title. Create book cover and blurb. Polish the related poem/ballad so it can be included as back matter.
Untitled LoC Novel (Standalone – Twins in Ferta): Major progress here! Previously I was at chapter thirty-one sent to the newsletter and 73,000 words. In September I reached chapter thirty-three sent to the newsletter, and we’re now at around 91,000 words!
I got ideas for upcoming chapters and drafted several scenes, including buffering one chapter for the October emails. Additionally, I had Claude (Opus 5) review the manuscript and provide me a detailed list of what each of the point-of-view characters knew at the last sent chapter and what they were still seeking, so that I’d be more easily able to bring them all together. There was a lot of brainstorming happening this month.
I also had Claude do some quick research on the senses of snow leopards, which gave me a summary and a list of handy articles to review. (One of the characters can shapechange into a snow leopard, and I wanted an idea of what I could play with when in his point-of-view). Wasn’t perfect, but did give me some ideas to work with.
Also had Claude (Opus 5 in Code) do a chronology review of my Legends of Cirena series based on seasons so I could visually see where each of the stand-alones stood next to each other.
Next step is to continue writing the rough draft.
The Wind Mage and the Wolf Spin-Off (Joran’s Story – A Legends of Cirena short story) : On hold. Needs the rest of the fight scene cross-referenced.
Goals: Edit in ProWritingAid, read-aloud, proofread. Book cover and blurb.
Fae (Huntress 3): I’ve continued work on print formatting, but put it temporarily on hold for other deadlines once it became clear it wouldn’t arrive on time for the Harvest Moon Night Market, after a different restock order was estimated to arrive after. (Previously I’ve thought three weeks was plenty for ordering author copies from Amazon KDP. This no longer appears to be the case).
The basic formatting Claude set up for me worked well, so the part I’m working on is correcting widows/orphans, adjusting rivers, that kind of thing. About halfway through. I also got the interior title page images updated.
Goal is to have this in time for the Poor Artists Sale in December, if accepted into the event.
Horse Shifter Romantasy 🐎: On hold. Next step is to start drafting from the outline.
Dark Romantasy Idea: On hold. I need to finish reviewing the outline to see what’s missing.
Writers of Warrensburg Anthology – I input the editing feedback on my story and proofread it, then sent it in. Later in the month, the complete book came back with edits input. This goal was to at least proofread my own story and two others; bonus goal was to read entire anthology. I started the proofread in September and finished the complete anthology a couple days into October. (Next step is updating my author bio to send in).
Other Stories: So… my brain decided to throw an idea at me while in the shower… as writer brains often do, and now I’ve got 1000 words of a “pioneers-in-space on another planet with minotaurs” in a closed-door/sweet romance. A very fun 1000 words to write. And the basis of a cover that I designed in Daz. I had Claude review the idea for if there’s any market for this. (Answer… well… we still don’t know. We couldn’t find that particular combination, and most of the minotaur monster romance Claude found leans spicy). But yeah. If this sticks around in my head by the next report I’ll give it its own entry.
(Why do I do this to myself?)
The YA Alien Invasion/Dystopian short story is on hold.
Poetry (?!): No updates.
Game Design:
Phalanx: I need to get a photo showing all of the pieces for the mousepad edition.
Elemental Card Game: On hold. Needs a lot of playtesting because the rules weren’t finalized before I started tinkering with a digital edition.
Legends of Cirena Tabletop Game: I had Claude (Opus 5 on Max) add in the final expansion. I haven’t had a chance to playtest any of the updates, however.
Battle Decks: I had Claude (Opus 5.5) do a review of Battle Decks and update missing rules and functionalities. Still needs play-testing.
Anchor: I need to get a landing page for it set up on the Infinitas Publishing website.
Fantasy RPG Productivity App: On hold.
Cozy Fantasy Pet Sim: On hold. Adult creature lineart needs cleaned up and added to game, and juvenile creature art needs adjustments. I still need to add my own flavor text as well.
KROWN Assessment: Personality quiz for the Huntress universe. On hold. Needs testing, but it should be about ready.
AI Usage and Policy: No new updates. Detailed usage is in this report.
Marketing and Admin:
- Continued having Claude do the Amazon Price Check for my permafree books. This has definitely been helpful in catching when they switch and having Claude edit my template so I can fire off the request for a price-match without having to fiddle as much with it. However, many authors are currently reporting issues with getting Amazon to price-match their books to free right now. I’m having mixed luck. Whispers in the Code doesn’t seem to be getting matched correctly, whereas The Wind Mage of Maijev has been hopping on and off free. Good news is that the other retailers are far more stable (and actually let us *choose* to make the book free).
- Updated accounting, so we’re still up-to-date with financials!
- I continued sending out the Distant Horizon and Wishing Blade universe newsletters on time. Now testing doing resends of the emails to subscribers who weren’t recorded as having opened the first email.
- Had Claude review the series catalogue and help me find areas in my notes that needed updating.
- Using Claude, I brainstormed ways to help make my books more visible. That surfaced the painfully-out-of-date categories on Amazon that I’d mostly been ignoring but, on looking at them again, realized they were incorrect and in dire need of a quick fix. After doing a temporary fix, I then had Claude pull all the current categories and keywords from KDP into a spreadsheet and review the notes I had it create on my books a while back to suggest new categories and keywords based on what might increase visibility in Amazon searches. I made the final call on which to include and which sounded definitely not right, but most were better than my scattershot approach. Ultimately I’ll want to compare the suggested keywords to Publisher Rocket’s information, which I’ve had Claude start reviewing but not complete. The books that have been updated so far: the Glitch saga books, Legends of Cirena books, Wishing Blade books, and Deceived books. (Some of those might have been updated October 1st instead of September). I had Claude build a skill for selecting keywords/categories on future books.
- Got October BookFunnel promos submitted to and scheduled through the newsletter and blog. Started narrowing down choices for November but haven’t yet made the final selections.
- Did a hefty review of my newsletters using Claude (both Sonnet 5 and Opus 5.5). I downloaded all the PDF previews from both my Distant Horizon and Wishing Blade newsletter, then had Claude review them for content, tone, and how that matched with opens and clicks over time. This is why I’m trying a later send time and trying the resend test.
- Used Claude to update my production schedule/calendar to help me see how different projects are moving, and continued doing weekly check-ins and priority lists.
- Still need to finish updating the book page here on this blog.
Next up: Continue overhauling book categories, keywords, and blurbs (aside from blurbs, four series are complete now). Review and update book prices; watch Book Blurb Magic course on books with multiple POVs, review a social media and newsletter email PDF I bought. Continue updating the design of individual Infinitas Publishing book pages and adding metadata. Continue adding books to the Stripe store for direct sales (alternately, review new BookFunnel feature offering Square sales?). Add alt text to images in earlier ebook files.
Repurposing Old Newsletter Content:
Only one post included re-purposed content this month:
- When the Gods Get Involved – Meddling Deities in the Wishing Blade and Distant Horizon Universes (DHU/WBU) – *new*
- Two Versions of Telepathy – Magic versus Superpower in the Wishing Blade and Distant Horizon Universes (DHU/WBU) – *new*
- Complex Villains – “Evil” isn’t their one defining trait (HNT/WBU/DHU) – *new*
- The Cover Design Process for Starless Night (DHU) – *repurposed*
Events: No events in September, however, I submitted the application for the Harvest Moon Night Market (October 11th in Calumet, MI).
SBibb’s Photographic Illustration: I have a new project I’m working on for another publisher; this one includes book cover, print, and ebook formatting. I’m doing the cover in Daz, and the front image has almost reached approval stage. Next up will be ebook formatting. Goal is to have the ebook ready for them by November.
Meanwhile, I still need to upload a minor revision to the formatting project that includes the ASIN, as well as the age categories that KDP is asking for.
Future Goals: Update the SBibbPhoto website to incorporate Daz work and fix the SEO information. Finish designing cute mascot for a local store. Finish editing photos for a local Aikido group.
SIFlint Art: Five keychain designs and the plant dragon lanyard were ordered through Vograce, plus a rainbow planet pencil bag that I had designed but not previously ordered. I restocked a few other items. Wasn’t sure if they would arrive on time for the Harvest Moon Night Market, but the friend who I ordered them with said they have arrived! (The arrival is technically for the October report).
I made edits to my Daz character design of Edea for the Legends of Cirena stories. Doesn’t have a scene in volume two so I’m including it here, instead.
Daz PA: Back catalogue still doing decent, likely due to the month-long sales on Daz focused on PAs. Probably spent more than I should have investing in more assets during those sales, but I am now well-set on the pieces I needed to complete several upcoming projects.
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Happy writing and reading (Or 3D rendering if you’re into Daz)! 🙂
